Yosemite Search Winds Down

After a week of major search operations in Yosemite, Park Service officials report that they have scaled back their efforts to find a missing 80 year old backpacker.

The search for 80 year old Ottorina Bonaventura begana week ago Monday when the backpacker separated from her group and didn’t return the Vogelsang High Sierra camp where she was staying.

According to park officials, about 150 people, using helicopters, dogs, and ground teams searched the area.

Adrianne Freeman with Yosemite National Park reports that the search area included over 100 square miles of rugged wilderness terrain ranging in elevation from 8,000 to over 10,000 feet above sea level near the Vogelsang High Sierra camp.

One searcher that we spoke to was surprised that the missing woman was not found given the number of people in the area looking for her. The search isn’t over, but the major effort is. The plan is to continue the search on a limited basis using local ground searchers and an investigations unit.

Freeman reports that the change in search strategy came after a review of continuing risk exposure against the probability of locating Ottorina Bonaventura.

Yosemite National Park continues to investigate this incident. Anyone with information or should contact the park service investigators at 209/372-0778.